Rio Grande Sports Information
RIO GRANDE, Ohio - The hope was that Friday's series-opening win over perennial River States Conference baseball power Point Park University was the fuel that the University of Rio Grande needed to post a second straight RSC series win or, perhaps, even a series sweep.
But as things turned out, all Friday's setback did was wake up a sleeping giant.
The Pioneers scored early in both ends of Saturday afternoon's doubleheader and rode route-going pitching performances from both of its starters for 8-0 and 7-2 wins over the RedStorm at chilly Bob Evans Field.
Point Park finished the day at 12-5 overall and 5-1 in league play as a result of the sweep.
Rio Grande dropped to 10-14 overall and 3-3 in the RSC.
In game one, Point Park plated four first inning runs and never looked back with Javier Cardoso tossing a complete game four-hit shutout.
All four Rio hits were singles and two came in the first inning. The RedStorm had just three runners advance beyond first base in the contest.
Jordon Campbell led the Pioneers at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run and three runs batted in.
Omar Morillo also went 3-for-4 and drove in a run for PPU.
Junior Trey Carter started and took the loss for Rio Grande, allowing six hits and five runs - four earned - over four innings. He also walked four and struck out three.
In the seven-inning nightcap, Point Park followed up a two-run first inning - which came without the aid of a base hit - with another run in the second inning and three more markers in the third.
Joathan Rivera did the rest, limiting the RedStorm to just five hits and a pair of unearned runs on the day.
Morillo went 4-for-4 and scored three runs for PPU, finishing the series 10-for-12 at the plate.
Jared Campbell went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three RBI for the Pioneers, while Isaac Santana had three hits of his own, including a double, and drove in a run.
Sophomore Alex Scoular (Whitby, Ontario, Canada) had one of the five Rio hits and the club's lone run batted in.
Junior Daniel Rutherford (Coal Grove, OH) started and took the loss, allowing seven hits, four walks and six runs over just 2-2/3 innings.
Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action next Friday when it opens a three-game weekend conference series at Oakland City University.
First pitch is set for 3 p.m. EDT.
